NatureFresh Farms and Van der Knaap

Organic cultivation of peppers in Canada started thanks to Dutch system

On Thursday, September 21, Van der Knaap Groep and NatureFresh Farms from Canada agreed that NatureFresh Farms will grow peppers organically with the newly developed cultivation system by Van der Knaap. The company has developed a system to work organically from the soil up. Both parties see the cultivation concept as a sustainable and reliable way forward for organic cultivation and vegetable crops.

In 2018 six hectares of peppers will be grown with the cultivation concept. This will grow over the coming years to twelve hectares. NatureFresh Farms already has experience with the organic cultivation of peppers, but through application of the Van der Knaap cultivation concept they hope to realise production increase and improved quality.

"Breakthrough in sustainable organic cultivation"The Van der Knaap R&D team has focused on developing a cultivation system to grow organically free from the soil over the last seven years. Under guidance from Karel de Bruijn, R&D manager at Van der Knaap a reactor was developed that turns proteins into nitrate (NO3). The food solution produced by the reactor is free from organic waste, fungus and bacteria.

In the Netherlands a group of growers has been growing according to this patented cultivation concept since 2016 in good collaboration.